Indian Motorcycle’s The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off competition is in full swing. The three finalists have received their new 2018 Scout Bobber motorcycles and a build allowance of $10,000, and the three men have already started ripping apart the stock bikes to create something truly unique.
The three custom Scout Bobbers will be unveiled on August 5 at the Legendary Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The public unveil will trigger a second fan voting process, which will determine the grand prize winner. The winner will be announced two weeks later and will receive a $10,000 grand prize along with a feature spread in Hot Bike magazine.
We were very intrigued by each of the three finalists for The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off and wanted to delve deeper into what made these guys tick, and their overall thoughts on being chosen as the finalists for The Wrench, and much more. Alfredo Juarez, a.k.a. Fred, is a NASA engineer who can literally build a rocket ship. Not a bad thing to have on the résumé when you’re entering a custom motorcycle build-off competition. We’ll be checking in soon with the other two finalists, Christian Newman and PJ Grakauskas, but for now, meet Alfredo Juarez.
Talk about being a finalist for The Wrench.
Being a finalist in The Wrench has been like a dream. I still can’t believe this is real; this has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life and I can’t thank all those involved enough. I am truly grateful and blessed to be a part of this competition. I am excited to realize my design and have met some awesome people thus far and am looking forward to meeting others along the way.
When did you begin tinkering with motorcycles and what was your first bike?
I first started tinkering with motorcycles at the age of 12 or 13 when my brother got his first dirt bike. My first bike was a 1991 Honda CR80.
Any builders you admire, respect, or try to emulate?
In the past it was Detroit Bros. I dig their radical style and their drop-tube frames. I have done several bikes with drop-tube frames with my own twist. Today it would definitely be Roland Sands and the guys at Zero Engineering. I dig the thin tires, stripped-down, exposed-frame look. I love RSD’s incorporation of performance aspects to the bikes. His Indian builds have been insane.
What bike(s) do you currently own?
I own a 1979 CB750.
Explain the similarities between your nine-to-five and how it applies to customizing motorcycles?
Attention to detail. My nine-to-five requires me to keep track of a lot of details in order to get the job done correctly. Project planning is a big one based on this short timeline. Schedule is ever present in my nine-to-fiver. Also thinking on the fly and coming up with creative, cost-effective solutions to problems that pop up jives well with building bikes as a hobby.
Talk about how you began building bikes as a hobby.
I was into fixing muscle cars and I loved shaping metal, mapping out frame and suspension geometry, and I had tons of experience wrenching on motorcycles, so it was a natural fit. I saw customizing motorcycles as having very few boundaries and I could get my chopping fix relatively cheaply—all good reasons to work on motorcycles.
Ever thought of doing it for a living?
That was my dream all throughout college. I pushed myself pretty hard to learn as much as I possibly could and collect as many tools as possible. Near the end of my college years my cautious self said I’d better put this engineering degree to use or else I’d be unhirable five to 10 years down the road in the event the bike building gig didn’t work out. So here I am, kept it as a hobby and I still enjoy it.
What are your thoughts on the Indian Scout Bobber?
Killer bike! It handles great stock, runs smooth, and looks tough. I love the stressed-member engine design; the engine is a jewel. Tearing into it I was really impressed with the fit and finish, little things that make the bike oh so clean.
What’s your plan of attack for your Scout Bobber build?
Order as much parts as I can right off the bat. I’m changing just about everything on the bike. Tear down the bike, mount it to my table, and start fabbing. I’ll have to send off parts for plating early on as well due to lead times, so that is a must ASAP. Most importantly…stay calm and have fun!
How are you going to spend the $10,000 build allowance?
Materials and parts mostly. As I said before, I’m changing just about everything so I’ll need to order raw materials and replacement parts. I’m also purchasing some tools to aid in the fabrication, components to what I’ve already got. Also, the consumables.
For more information on Indian Motorcycle’s The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build-Off, go here.
What will you do with the $10,000 cash prize if you win?
I hadn’t thought about it until I was chosen top three. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. I most definitely would use it toward building a shop on my property. My wife is a really talented artist and I’d like to build a shop/studio for us to pass our time together as a family. Our little girl is only two but I’d love to expose her to our hobbies. The main thing is, I want a place where we can work on the things we love and be together.
Source : Hotbikeweb
